clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

Sushi Spot O-Ku’s Union Market Eatery Will Offer Rooftop Dining

There’s also three bars, and the potential for late-night snacks

by Warren Rojas
O-Ku is building a rooftop deck with a view of Union Market.
Warren Rojas/Eater DC

The two-story O-Ku sushi restaurant currently taking shape in Northeast is projected to have multiple bars, a rooftop dining area, and a back entrance via the graffiti-laden alley once finished.

The emerging eatery (1274 Fifth Street NE) marks the latest expansion by the Charleston-based family of restaurants. The debut D.C. location is designed to accommodate 120 diners across two floors, with room for another 40 patrons on a rooftop deck that will look out onto neighboring Union Market.

O-Ku managing partner Kimball Brienza tells Eater the entire restaurant will be punctuated by decor inspired by the surrounding warehouses. So expect to see “a lot of exposed cinder block, darker colored tiles, and some rusted metals.” The sushi room, located in the back, will be dominated by a sushi bar with seating for around a dozen customers. Two deliberate tweaks: a sunken floor behind the bar so the dedicated sushi chefs and customers are roughly on the same level, and a counter devoid of extraneous displays.

“It’s much more personal,” executive chef Bryan Emperor says of the face-to-face interaction the bar is designed to foster. He expects to have five sushi chefs working behind the bar, and predicts another will likely work the custom binchotan grill he’ll use to cook everything from king crab, shrimp, and eel to smoky garnishes. Emperor says the sushi bar will offer omakase-style service as well as a la carte offerings. Reservations are recommended, but walk-ins will also be welcome.

Brienza describes the upstairs lounge as a “Tokyo-style craft cocktail bar.” He envisions serving lots of Japanese whiskies, and plans to offer the same dinner service as downstairs to start. He says he’s working on a late-night menu for post-dinner snacking that would complement the after-hour vibe he’s hoping to cultivate upstairs. Brienza is building toward that goal by setting up a separate entrance at the rear that would lead customers past the spray painted walls of the existing Union Market businesses.

D.C.’s O-Ku is currently scheduled to open in late May.

Scroll down to look inside the evolving space:

Rusted metal plates are already visible behind the main bar at D.C.’s debut O-Ku.
Warren Rojas/Eater DC

The floor behind the sushi bar at O-Ku dips down so the chefs will remain at eye level with seated patrons.
Warren Rojas/Eater DC

O-Ku’s sushi bar will have seating on all three sides as well as a big ornamental hood.
Warren Rojas/Eater DC

O-Ku managing partner Kimball Brienza says the upstairs bar at the Union Market restaurant will feature Japanese whiskies and specialty cocktails.
Warren Rojas/Eater DC

A standing rail is projected to split the upstairs lounge at O-Ku, with booth seating likely to extend down the wall opposite the bar.
Warren Rojas/Eater DC

Managing partner Kimball Brienza says the rooftop deck at O-Ku will likely mimic the elevated wooden platform adopted by the neighboring occupant.
Warren Rojas/Eater DC

Graffiti is plainly visible on the walls along the alley behind O-Ku. Managing partner Kimball Brienza says a rear entrance to the upstairs lounge is in the works.
Warren Rojas/Eater DC

Signage for the O-Ku coming to Union Market.
Warren Rojas/Eater DC

More From Eater DC

The Latest

H Street’s Acclaimed Vegan Restaurant Will Close Next Month

By Tierney Plumb

The Soundtrack to D.C.’s Michelin-Starred Dining Rooms

By Eater Staff

Shop for Pastry Pro Paola Velez’s Popular Sticky Buns at Nordstrom’s U.S. Cafes

By Tierney Plumb and Eater Staff

Voodoo Bar Brings Big Easy Energy to the U Street Corridor

By Tierney Plumb

D.C. Gets Four New Coffee Shops in Just One Week — And More Openings

By Tierney Plumb

NPR’s ‘All Things Considered’ Now Has Its Own Gelato Flavor

By Adele Chapin